Compressed Natural Gas Comes to Ford F-150 Fall 2013
By Sherrice Gilsbach
DEARBORN - Ford Motor Company will expand its fleet of vehicles capable of
running on compressed natural gas by adding the option to the 2014 Ford F-150
this fall. With the addition of the F-150, Ford will offer eight commercial
vehicles with the gaseous-prep option and will be the only manufacturer with an
available CNG/LPG half-ton pickup.
The gaseous-fuel prep option will be available on the F-150 with the 3.7-liter V6 and customers interested in the CNG F-150 will first order their truck with the CNG/LPG engine prep which costs approximately $315.
Next, the customer chooses from a list of Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and the unique fuel injectors. Depending on the size of the tanks chosen, the upfits range in cost from $7,500 to $9,500.
Considering the cost for CNG is roughly $1 per gallon less than
unleaded regular fuel, and that a CNG equipped F-150 can travel up to 750 miles
on one tank (depending on the tank size selected), Jon Coleman, Ford Fleet
Sustainability and Technology manager, said buyers will be able to see a return
on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CNG usage can carry the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30 percent.
Other CNG/LPG vehicles already in the Ford fleet include:
• Transit Connect van and wagon
• Transit van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab
• E-Series van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis
• F-Series Super Duty pickup and F-350 chassis cab
• F-Series Super Duty chassis cab (F-450, F-550)
“Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of the fuel’s low price and clean emissions,” said Coleman.
Ford expects to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, an increase of more than 25 percent over 2012.
The gaseous-fuel prep option will be available on the F-150 with the 3.7-liter V6 and customers interested in the CNG F-150 will first order their truck with the CNG/LPG engine prep which costs approximately $315.
Next, the customer chooses from a list of Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifiers to supply fuel tanks, fuel lines and the unique fuel injectors. Depending on the size of the tanks chosen, the upfits range in cost from $7,500 to $9,500.
Considering the cost for CNG is roughly $1 per gallon less than
unleaded regular fuel, and that a CNG equipped F-150 can travel up to 750 miles
on one tank (depending on the tank size selected), Jon Coleman, Ford Fleet
Sustainability and Technology manager, said buyers will be able to see a return
on their investment in as little as 24 to 36 months.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CNG usage can carry the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30 percent.
Other CNG/LPG vehicles already in the Ford fleet include:
• Transit Connect van and wagon
• Transit van, wagon, cutaway and chassis cab
• E-Series van, wagon, cutaway and stripped chassis
• F-Series Super Duty pickup and F-350 chassis cab
• F-Series Super Duty chassis cab (F-450, F-550)
“Businesses and fleet customers have been asking Ford to make F-150 available with CNG capability to take advantage of the fuel’s low price and clean emissions,” said Coleman.
Ford expects to sell more than 15,000 CNG/LPG-prepped vehicles this year, an increase of more than 25 percent over 2012.